The Assassins
by Tigraine Bashere
Summary: Ginny Weasley and Draco Malfoy both want Harry Potter dead for their own reasons. They team up to get the job done, but what Ginny doesn't know is that Draco has another agenda. In order to become a Death Eater, he must prove himself by killing Ginny.
1. The Proposition

Disclaimer: The plot's mine, but everything else is J.K. Rowling's (you all know the drill by now)  
  
Chapter One: The Proposition  
  
Ginny Weasley entered the Three Broomsticks and quickly scanned the area. She smiled at her luck, seeing that Draco Malfoy was sitting by himself in a dark corner. She got a Butterbeer, taking a large gulp before she made her way to his seat and boldly took the chair across from the blonde Slytherin.  
  
"What do you want Weasley?" he didn't seem to appreciate how hard it was for her to be so...forward?  
  
Ginny took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. She wasn't sure how he'd take her proposition.  
  
"You hate Harry, right?" When she had practiced this in front of her mirror it hadn't sounded so stupid.  
  
"Weasley, if you're just going to state the obvious then go waste someone else's time," said Draco Malfoy, inspecting his fingernails. His careless attitude was not making this any easier.  
  
She decided to try another approach.  
  
"I..I've heard that you've delved into the Dark Arts."  
  
"Oh, have you now?" He sounded bored.  
  
"Yes." She couldn't believe how badly this was going, and she hadn't even said what she came to.  
  
"Well you can't believe everything you here, didn't anyone ever tell you that, Weasel?"  
  
"Yes." She wished she could think of something witty to say, it seemed so easy in books.  
  
"Well if that's all you want then..." he started to get up.  
  
"No!" she shouted, motioning for him to sit back down. He raised an eyebrow and sat.  
  
"What do you want Weasley, really?" she now had Draco's attention. The fact that she wanted to talk to him so badly intrigued him.  
  
"I told you, I've heard you've delved--"  
  
"And I said you can't believe everything you hear," he snapped, cutting her off.  
  
"So you haven't?" If the rumors about Draco Malfoy proved to be false Ginny was going to be both utterly embarassed, and in need of a new plan.  
  
"I never said that."  
  
"So you have?" She tried to keep her voice from sounding too eager, but it was no use. Again, he raised one eyebrow.  
  
"I never said that either." this time Draco wore a smirk on his pale face. Ginny realized that in order to get a straight answer from Draco Malfoy she was going to have to trust him, to let him in on her plan.  
  
"I want to kill Harry." Draco suddenly sat up straight, his full attention on the youngest Weasley.  
  
"Did I just hear that right?" he asked, unable to believe her words. Ginny nodded.  
  
"You heard me Malfoy. Now, can you help me?"  
  
"What makes you think I could?"  
  
"Oh come on. Any fool knows your father was --is-- a Death Eater. That sort of thing runs in the family, doesn't it?" She regretted her words the instant they were out of her mouth. What if Mafloy was offended? What if they made him more unwilling to help her?  
  
"Go on." Ginny breathed a sigh of relief. She still had a chance!  
  
"I know that Tom --I mean You-Know-Who-- was going to kill me to bring himself back. I know I should be grateful to Harry for saving me, but you have to understand..." she trailed off and tried to gather what she wanted to say.  
  
"Are you going to give me some sob story about how he was your first love and all that? Please spare me. I'll help you kill Potter. I'd be happy to."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"If you pay me." This time there was no trace of that trademark smirk, instead he laughed.  
  
Ginny was furious. She didn't care how badly she needed his help, she could not sink that low, not after that comment. How could he be so cruel even when she was making an offer that would benefit him as well as herself. She got up and started to walk away when he grabbed her wrist. She tried to twist away but instead he pulled her towards him.  
  
"I'll help you," he whispered, his voice sounded dangerous. "Come with me." He got up, still holding her wrist.  
  
"You can let go now."  
  
"Just follow," he said. The response was non-committal, but his fingers were no longer wrapped around her wrist. His grip had been tight and Ginny's skin was red where she had been held. They walked toward the Shrieking Shack, then he grabbed her hand again, his grip tighter than before.  
  
"What are you doing?" Ginny asked suspiciously.  
  
"Quiet." He turned into a dark narrow alley, pulling Ginny with him. He walked down it, his grasp still tight on her arm.  
  
As they walked down it, the alley seemed to get larger and larger until they were standing in a dimly lit room furnished with a green couch, mahogany writing desk with a chair to match, and a book shelf made of unstained wood.  
  
Ginny noticed that Draco had let go of her.  
  
"Where are we?"  
  
"Its my study." His voice had a hint of pride in it.  
  
"Your study..."  
  
"Yes. Father used it when he was at Hogwarts...its been in the Malfoy family for generations, and only a Malfoy can enter it. For everyone else, its just a continuation of the alley." he explained. From what she knew of Draco Malfoy, such a patient and detailed explanation seemed uncharacteristic.  
  
"And that's why you had to grab my arm," Ginny guessed.  
  
"Wow Weasley, I guess you do have some brains in there after all. Well done!" he actually patted her on the back.  
  
"Don't be so patronizing! What are we doing here?"  
  
"Why don't you figure it out. I'd explain it but then you'd accuse me of being a know-it-all," he said. He had the habit of saying things that made her want to take her words and squash them beneath her feet. In other words, he made whatever she said sound stupid.  
  
Ginny decided she would not dignify him with an answer and instead went to the bookshelf and started reading the titles. They were things like "The Rise of the Dark Arts" and "Mudbloods: Why They are the Enemy".  
  
"I can see why you'd want this place to be private." she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Still, Draco heard her.  
  
"Like you said, the Dark Arts run in the family. Now, why do you need my help to kill Potter? Have a seat on the couch, take your time." he told her.  
  
"We need to get back to Hogwarts soon."  
  
"Don't worry about it. Time moves slower here. Sit." Ginny sat.  
  
"I like an obedient girl." he said, his expression something between a smirk and a grin, if that were possible. "I was only kidding," he ammended, seeing her glare. This surprised her...his tone sounded almost...apologetic?  
  
"Alright, now...shall we get down to business?" Being alone with a Malfoy was very trying for Ginny. She wanted it to be over with, even if she would have to be spending a considerable amount of time with him for the next few months.  
  
"No business today, Weasley."  
  
"Then what are we doing here?"  
  
"Don't get so jumpy Weasley. We're going to work out a schedule." He took a roll of parchment and a quill from his desk, dipping the quill in a bottle of green ink. "You need me to get here, and here is the only place where we can talk safely, its also the only place with the supplies we'll need."  
  
"How do you know what supplies we need? And I don't see any place where there could be much of anything."  
  
"I have experience. There's a compartment behind the writing desk with potions and herbs, and even a cauldron. Mind you, its a small cauldron, but that can be fixed with ease."  
  
"Right, so...about that schedule? I can get away after supper most evenings, or I can pretend to be ill and we can meet during meals, but where can we meet?"  
  
"I'm in Seventh Year so I can always get away from meals by saying I want to practice for my N.E.W.T's. So we'll meet after dinner on Wednesday through Saturday. Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday I want for myself. As much as I hate Potter, I don't want all of my time devoted to killing him."  
  
"That's fine with me. And we'll meet for an hour on Hogsmeade weekends. We can join up at Moaning Myrtle's bathroom so I don't end up lost in Hogsmeade."  
  
"We'll meet there, but there's a way to access my study from the Slytherin Common Room, so I will give you the password and my invisibility cloak next time." he wrote down the schedule, then used his wand to make a duplicate of it for Ginny.  
  
"If anyone finds this, I'm helping you with Potions." He'd kill her if anyone found it, but just in case he didn't want to it was good for her to have a lie at the ready.  
  
"Alright. Good. That would be pretty believable."  
  
"Not too good with Potions?" he inquired. Ginny shook her head.  
  
"I never get above a C."  
  
"We'll have to do something about that. Alright, its time to go. Oh, and Weasley?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Don't address me in public again." He was back to his nasty Malfoy self.  
  
When they left the alley it was time for the Hogwarts students to leave. She met up with Luna, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, claiming she'd been throwing up in the bathroom of the Three Broomsticks for most of the trip.  
  
"I think it was that anti-acne potion I made," she told Hermione.  
  
"Well, I don't see any pimples, but maybe next time you should see Madame Pomfrey, Gin."  
  
"Yeah, you're no good in potions."  
  
"Oh thanks Ron." she said sarcastically. Thankfully they didn't suspect anything, Harry seemed like he didn't notice her presence. Ginny didn't see the odd look Luna was directing at her. 


	2. The First Meeting

Ginny stood alone in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, or nearly alone. It was hard to feel suitably lonely and self pitying when there was a sobbing ghost in the same room.  
  
"Sodding bastard!" she said, kicking a book someone had carelessly left lying on the bathroom floor. Who's book was that anyway? No one ever came in here.  
  
"You should be careful whose books you kick around Weasley." Ginny turned and saw Draco Malfoy leaning against the wall, wearing his school robes, a book bag, and his trademark smirk.  
  
"Er..."  
  
"Let me guess? Didn't see me?" He picked up the book and slipped it into his bag.  
  
"Yeah...sorry. I was angry at...um...Ron because he was..."  
  
"Work on your excuses Weasley. For a minute there I admired your spunk, calling me a bastard and all."  
  
"I-I d-didn't know you were there," she stammered.  
  
"Still, a good old fashioned "fuck off" might have been nice" He shrugged his shoulders very carelessly, as if to illustrate his disappointment.  
  
"Can we just get to work?" she started to back away nervously, her eyes scanning the room for the bag she had brought.  
  
"Why Weasley? Am I making you uncomfortable?" He started to walk toward her....  
  
They heard the toilet flush.  
  
"Bollucks!" shouted Ginny, remembering that was the stall where her books were located. "Myrtle, if my books just went down there I'll kill you!"  
  
Moaning Myrtle flew out of the stall and right up to Ginny's face.  
  
"I'm already dead! Thank you sniffle for sob rubbing it in my sniff sniff face! Why is everyone so sniff cruel to poor sniffle Myrtle? I just sit here sniff sniff minding my own business! You're a very nasty girl!" she shouted, then noticed Draco. "Oooh! You're a naughty girl, you are. You've got a boy with you. Hansome one too. Oooh, I'm going to tell your brother!" Myrtle laughed gleefully, then dove into the sink. Ginny hoped she wasn't on her way to the Gryffindor Common Room.  
  
"Well," said Draco, "she sure showed you."  
  
"Fuck off."  
  
Draco grinned.  
  
"That's more like it. Let's go."  
  
"What about my books?" she protested.  
  
"Can't you do anything yourself, Weasley?" he took out his wand. Ginny didn't hear what he said, but the next thing she knew her books were sitting by her feet, a couple were a bit wet, but otherwise no worse for the wear.  
  
"Blech," said Ginny, picking up the wet books.  
  
"Here, put them in my bag," said Draco, holding it open for her. Ginny muttered a drying spell then placed the books in Draco's book bag, shooting him an uneasy glance.  
  
"You aren't going to do anything are you? Make them disappear? I do know some nasty hexes myself, mind you," she threatened.  
  
"I'd love to stay and flirt Weasley, but I've got a death to plot, if you want to come, then follow," he said, pretty much ignoring her comment, and picked up his bag.  
  
"Flirt!" Ginny was both embarassed and disgusting. She wasn't flirting, was she? She looked at his face and saw that annoying smirk again. She was really beginning to hate that smirk, and hate him more than ever.  
  
"Here Weasley, put this on." He had handed her his invisibility cloak.  
  
"Don't you need it?"  
  
"Do you always have to question me? You're gonna have to work on that, red." So now he had nicknames for her? She'd kill him now if she didn't need his help.  
  
"Bastard," she muttered as she disappeared under the cloak. He smiled. Not a smirk, a smile. He loved getting people riled up, and with Ginny it was easy.  
  
They walked the rest of the way in silence. They had to. It would have looked really odd for Draco to be talking to what appeared to be thin air, and if Harry or his friends saw him they would suspect an invisibility cloak, having had their own experiences with one.  
  
The finally reached the Slytherin Common Room.  
  
"Marvolo," said Draco. Ginny committed that password to memory, although with her luck it would be changed the following day.  
  
No one was there, most of the students were at the Dining Hall for lunch.  
  
"Grab my hand." Ginny did as instructed and they walked toward a bookcase which only had a few books scattered on its shelves.  
  
Seconds later they were in Draco's study, standing in front of the bookshelf there. It presented a far more impressive collection than the Slytherin Common Room.  
  
Draco let go of her hand and plopped himself down on the couch. He picked up a copy of the Daily Prophet and started reading the the Quidditch section.  
  
"Aren't you supposed to be helping me?" Ginny asked, raising her eyebrows. Draco mockingly raised one eyebrow in response. "Well? I've decided we're going to have to fight him...I'm sure he'll be doing something with You-know-who this year, he always does. So, you know, we could...go in and help him along? You-Know-Who, not Harry. Er...I mean, with three against one Harry's bound to fail, right?"  
  
Draco folded his paper, put it down, and looked straight at her.  
  
"I think you'd better leave the planning to me."  
  
"What? Why? I'm perfectly capable, look I even brought an outline....er...its in your bag," she said, opening his book bag and rummaging through it.  
  
"Ginny, calm down." His use of her first name startled her, though his tone was the same typical Malfoy drawl. "I know you're nervous around me, at least I hope that's the excuse for your senseless babbling. And let's face it, you've got every reason to be. I'm an intimidating man." He gave a small laugh. Ginny was livid.  
  
"Don't flatter yourself Malfoy. And using my first name is not going to have any effect on me," she spat.  
  
"So it worked then?" he drawled.  
  
"I really am going to kill you," Ginny informed him, pulling out her wand. "Right now if you don't dislodge that stick from your arse and actually do something useful. I've got a plan, and I'm sick of being the awkward Ginny Weasley everyone knows. So shut up, listen, and I will tell it to you, without the so-called "senseless babble." Alright?"  
  
"I'm all ears Weasley." Draco turned around slightly so that his head was resting on one arm of the couch and his feet were hanging slightly off the other. He grabbed a pillow and put it behind his head, and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Go on, but make it quick, we've got to leave soon."  
  
Ginny let out an exasperated sigh, wondering if she should reconsider her little alliance with Draco Malfoy, but it couldn't hurt to let him in on the plan. If he really wanted Harry dead, he wouldn't tell her secrets.  
  
"Every single year, or almost every year, Harry has some sort of encounter with You-Know-Who. Every year Harry defeats him. I know He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named wants Harry Potter dead. He wishes it with every fiber of his being. I felt it, I felt it from the diary, and every witch or wizard living knows it.  
  
" If The Dark Lord did not have to fight alone, he may be able to destroy Harry. We could help him without any of his Death Eaters knowing he had help. He would get the glory of killing The Boy Who Lived, and you and I would have the satisfaction of knowing Harry Potter's blood is on our hands. Our's,"  
  
Ginny had never delivered such a powerful speech in her life, and she knew it. She didn't know how she had managed to sound so calm. She thanked the spirit of the Tom Riddle she had known for giving her that strength.  
  
Draco was speechless. Ginny had transformed before his eyes from a nervous girl to a self assured woman. He had a new respect for Ginny Weasley. A respect he didn't know he could posess for any born of that family. He sat up, suddenly worried about the state of his hair, it would be a mess after lying down.  
  
"Alright Weasley. It sounds like a great plan," he said, flattening his hair with the palm of his right hand. "Tomorrow we'll get to work. Now, we have to go. Let's get the cloak on. You keep it locked in your trunk, if you could afford one with a lock." The insult felt awkward on his lips, but Ginny didn't seem to notice. She felt this meeting had been a waste, but tomorrow....tomorrow things would start to happen.  
  
"Gin, where were you? We missed you at lunch," asked Ron when he, Harry, and Hermione walked into the Gryffindor Common Room and spotted Ginny rereading Quidditch Through the Ages on a chair near the fireplace.  
  
"I had a headache, and by the time it was gone I figured lunch was almost over," she lied. Ginny was surprised that the lie came so easily to her, without even a blush.  
  
"Aw why didn't you tell us Ginny? We could have brought something back for you," Hermione said sympathetically.  
  
"I could go ask the House Elves for some pastries," Ron suggested, grinning. Hermione shot him an annoyed glance and he burst out laughing.  
  
"Ron, you shouldn't take advantage of them!"  
  
"Leave him alone Hermione, he's just trying to bug you," said Harry. Ginny was annoyed. How thick could he be? Ron and Hermione always acted this way toward each other. It was how their relationship worked. Oh well, soon he would be gone and unable to bother them, or anyone else.  
  
Draco had a free period after lunch, so once Ginny Weasley had gone he headed to the Prefect's Bathroom to think. He hoped Moaning Myrtle wouldn't be there, seeing her once in one day was plenty. She was more annoying than Peeves, at least Peeves was funny. Besides, he didn't want any distractions. If he was going to pull off killing both Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley, he'd need to plan well.  
  
He opened his trunk and dug out a crumpled piece of parchment, reading it over carefully.  
  
"To prove yourself worthy of Initiation, you have been given the task of killing Ginny Weasley. She is the youngest sister of Harry Potter's best friend, and killing her would be a blow to Potter himself. Do this, and you will be a Death Eater in time for the assault on Hogwarts."  
  
This note had come from his father at the beginning of school, and he had not let it be seen by anyone else. He knew killing Potter was not part of his mission, but he had a spell in mind that might enable him to kill them both. It fit perfectly with Weasley's plan because he would need the power of The Dark Lord for this spell.  
  
He reread the parchment once more before burying it again in his trunk, then set off for the Prefect's bathroom.  
  



	3. Midnight Snack

Chapter 3: Midnight Snack  
  
Ginny lay awake in her bed, unable to sleep. Everything seemed to distract her. First it was the cold. The window was open, bringing in a cool breeze. She got up and closed it. Then it was the snoring of the other girls. Ginny put a pillow over her head to silence them. Then the pillow made it hard to breathe.  
  
She couldn't get comfortable. What was wrong with her? She had never had so much trouble falling asleep. She didn't want to admit to herself what it was. Or who it was.  
  
If one were to look at Draco Malfoy's sleeping form they would see a boy of seventeen sleeping peacefully, with a bit of drool starting to come from his mouth so famous for its smirk.  
  
It has often been said that appearances can be decieving, and here was definately a prime example.  
  
"If you turn on me now boy, I swear I will kill you, the girl, and anyone else you've ever met. Your mother, your father, everyone," Lord Voldemort stood before the lifeless body of Harry Potter, the deed done by a powerful spell said by Ginny, Draco, and Lord Voldemort. Now it was time for Draco to fullfill his original mission.  
  
"I can't, she helped you, she helped us, I..."  
  
"What, boy? You love her? Love is nothing compared to the pain I can cause you."  
  
"I won't kill her!"  
  
"Then I will. Avada Kedavra!"  
  
Draco screamed with pain as he saw the flash of green light, as he heard the scream, the last sound Ginny would ever make. He ran to her fallen form.  
  
"I'll destroy you." Draco's voice was shaking with pain, and with anger. The Dark Lord seemed unphased.  
  
"You can't kill me if you are dead. Avada--"  
  
Draco awoke in a cold sweat, breathing furiously. He didn't know what to think. Was this...a prophecy? He almost laughed. He would never love Weasley, there was no way this nightmare foretold anything. He would never betray Lord Voldemort, never.  
  
Even in his head it sounded like he was just convincing himself. Draco looked at his watch. It was two in the morning. He wondered if Ginny was...  
  
"No, I don't care about her," he told himself.  
  
"Malfoy....wha's goin' on? ...its early"  
  
"Go back to sleep Goyle." Why was it so easy for the others to sleep? Seconds after he had spoken Gregory Goyle was snoring loudly enough to wake the mermaids who lived in the lake.  
  
Draco knew with all this noise he would never sleep. He wished he hadn't given away his invisibility cloak.  
  
"I'll just have to risk getting caught. It'll give me something to do anyway," Draco told himself. He didn't bother getting dressed. He didn't plan on being seen. He definately hoped no one saw him in the snowman boxers his mum had given him last Christmas. He wondered if he should throw a shirt on, but since it was relatively warm he didn't bother.  
  
"I've got the invisibility cloak, if I go out and explore no one will catch me," Ginny wrote in her diary. "Its very cool, much prettier than the one Harry's got. Gah, sounds very ditzy. Shall shut up. Wonder if should bother getting dressed. Feel a bit slutty in just t-shirt and boxer shorts. Gah! Did I mention these boxers used to belong to Fred. Gross! But the Hogwarts pajamas are so...constricting? Anyway am leaving." Ginny had started keeping a diary again in fifth year, finally getting over her understandable fear of journals.  
  
She locked it away and put on Malfoy's invisibility cloak. Quietly Ginny crept out of the dormitory and into the common room. She quickly surveyed the area. Hermione had fallen asleep over a pile of books, with Ron's arm draped lazily around her.  
  
Harry was nowhere in sight. He was probably off wondering the halls in his cloak, though now she had no danger of running into him.  
  
Ginny figured the best place to go would be the kitchens. Maybe if she ate something she'd be able to sleep.  
  
Draco toyed with the idea of visiting the kitchens before remembering Dobby.  
  
"Stupid useless elf," he muttered, deciding to head for the kitchens anyway, out of spite. Besides, he was hungry. Maybe he'd offer his socks as a piece offering. Draco had overheard Potter talking about how keen Dobby was on socks.  
  
When Ginny entered the kitchens she took off the cloak, then noticed someone sitting at the counter and sipping a steaming mug of hot apple cider. (After Winky's "incident" the elves were nervous about serving Butterbeer).  
  
Ginny tried to tip toe up and see who it was, momentarily forgetting the cloak, when she was interrupted by a house elf.  
  
"Would Miss be liking something to drink?"  
  
"Where's Dobby, isn't this usually his job?  
  
"Dobby is being hiding, Miss."  
  
Ginny was pretty much able to figure it out from there. Malfoy must be the one sitting there, and because the elf was so loud, he had looked over and seen her too.  
  
"Could I have some hot soup?"  
  
"Certainly Miss, anything!" said the subserviant House Elf. Ginny bravely went to join Malfoy at the counter, not wanting to seem like a coward.  
  
"So you're stalking me now, are you?" asked Draco.  
  
"Yes, Malfoy. I'm stalking you." Ginny thought she might really start stalking him if he took his shirt off more often. She was appalled with herself for having such thoughts, feeling the blush fill her cheeks.  
  
Was she blushing? Hmm. Draco hoped she wasn't actually stalking him. If she was...well, one thing might lead to another.  
  
"Well, don't make a habit of it," he said after awhile, taking a sip of his cider for effect.  
  
"I won't. Trust me."  
  
"Hmm. It seems pretty hard to believe you when you show up everywhere I go. You even showed up in the same bathroom as me, Weasley. You call that keeping your distance?" He laughed.  
  
"You told me to meet you there! Or I told you, or...it was agreed on! That does not count as stalking Draco Malfoy!" Ginny protested. He raised an eyebrow. "If you raise that bloody eyebrow one more bloody time I really will hurt you." Smirking, he raised his eyebrow.  
  
Ginny punched him, blushing again when he fist came into contact with bare chest.  
  
"Wow. Well, that was a bit painful Weasley. I'm impressed," Draco said, staring at the red mark on his skin.  
  
"Try and beat that," said Ginny, grinning proudly.  
  
"Oh I will, Weasley. Trust me," Draco said, his voice low. He leaned forward, pressing his lips to hers. Ginny's eyes widened as he deepened the kiss.  
  
"You win."  
  
"I don't know Weasley, we could try again." This time Ginny took the initiative, putting one hand on his back and running her fingers through his white blonde hair with the other. Slowly she leaned closer to him, first kissing him softly, then more aggressively. Draco parted his lips, allowing her tongue to explore his mouth.  
  
Ginny was the first to pull away.  
  
"I can't believe I just did that."  
  
"Well, you're not getting any complaints from me, Weasley," Draco said, leaning back on his chair.  
  
"You're still calling me Weasley after all that?" Ginny felt offended. She'd just given him the best kiss she'd ever given anyone, and he still called her Weasley, as if she had no identity other than that of her family.  
  
"I'm sorry Ginny."  
  
"Pardon?" Ginny thought she must not have heard right.  
  
"I'm not going to say it again," Draco said in his drawling way.  
  
"Right, er....anyway, about our plan.."  
  
"Sod it," said Draco, kissing her again. He paused, saying "Forget the bloody plan," and snogged her so passionately that Ginny did forget it.  
  
"Excuse Celly! Celly be bringing you your soup miss. Celly did not mean to interrupt!" Said a house elf, bringing Ginny the bowl of soup she had asked for.  
  
Ginny sighed and thanked the elf for the soup.  
  
"So," she said, taking a bite, "scared Dobby off, did you?"  
  
"Yeah, I was going to offer him my socks to calm him down, but he ran off before I could remove them."  
  
Ginny glanced down to see what kind of socks he was wearing, then started laughing quietly.  
  
"What?" demanded Draco.  
  
"Your boxers....they, they have snowmen on them!" Ginny threw back her head and laughed wildly. Draco scowled.  
  
"They were a Christmas gift," he said sulkily, then added "I see you are quite festive yourself." referring to Ginny's reindeer boxers.  
  
"They were Fred's," she said without thinking.  
  
"You're wearing your brother's boxers? I always thought you had a weird family"  
  
"Er. Its not like some scary incest thing you know. Its just, money is tight and I needed pajamas!" Ginny told him defensively.  
  
"Sure, and you don't have six brothers," Draco replied, his sarcasm clearer with ever syllable. But it wasn't the cold hearted mockery she had come to expect from him, it was more playful than that.  
  
The clock chimed, letting the pair know it was half passed three in the morning.  
  
"We've gotta go," Ginny said, turning to leave. Draco put his hand on her shoulder, stopping her.  
  
"One last thing," he said, then kissed her sweetly.  
  
It took her ten minutes to get back to Gryffindor Tower, and although her mind was more full than before, Ginny found she fell asleep easily.  
  
Draco didn't know what to think of tonight's events. He thought it might be best to pretend it never happened, but girls could get weird about that sort of thing. He fell asleep remembering those kisses. That memory battled the nightmares while he slept.  
  
Author's Note: Very cheesy ending but it will become significant 


End file.
